Senate budget has big cuts, targets teachers

The Senate released its version of a two-year state budget late Tuesday, cutting deeper into state programs than the House and cutting teacher salaries by 3 percent.

One of the biggest differences between the Senate’s plan and one previously released by the House is that the Senate does not include an anticipated $300 million in additional revenue from the privatization of Washington’s liquor distribution system.

The state’s deficit for 2011-13 is $5.3 billion. Because of the late hour, people were still pouring over the proposed spending plan. Read seattlepi.com for more. Click here to pore over all the details.